Nag
by fanofthisfiction
Summary: When Yoshino nags, is it a personality flaw or a skill? Moreover, what will Shikamaru and Temari do about it?
1. Nag

Disclaimer: Naruto and it's characters belong exclusively to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

In a huff, he quickly ushered his wife out the front door of his childhood home.

"Later Ma!" he growled out.

"But Shikamaru!" Temari countered, desperately shooting a look to her mother-in-law seeking forgiveness for their sudden and rude departure. There was little more she could do as he continued to tug her down the path away from her property.

"It was nice to see you Shikamaru and Temari!" she called back sweetly. "Perhaps you'll come again... soon?"

 _Not likely,_ he wanted to say, but if it were left to Temari, they'd be there again. Why the woman would openly want to visit with her lately was beyond him.

He loved his Ma. He really did. She had a sweet spot for Temari, which he appreciated, but to his dismay, she was a master at getting under his skin when she really wanted to. Honestly after his Dad had passed, she mellowed. They actually got along quite well after that. Then, one day, out of the blue, that awful nagging tendency reared its head. It had seriously puzzled him at what could have had gotten into her. The nagging simply drove him over the edge, and today was a prime example of that.

These days she was less outward in the way she got to him, but unfortunately it was still there, and he was the usual target. _Yep, troublesome_. Today it wasn't so much what she said, but the undertones behind it that were maddening.

It began innocently. She welcomed them in and small talk ensued. She then casually mentioned how good Temari looked. That in itself wasn't particularly bothersome, but the follow up discussion intimately insinuating he might be slacking off from keeping her happily 'satisfied' in the marriage, eventually struck a chord. _Geez, really?_

From there, it seemed whatever topic his Ma would initiate, inevitably bled into a discussion that tangled he and his wife into some minor disagreement about his ability to do his 'husbandly duties'. Much to his chagrin, Temari often sided with his Ma, and once he irritated the Sand kunoichi, _boy, what a drag_ , it meant he would to need to make it up to her later. Why he let the irritation with his Ma enmesh into these things was definitely troublesome. He had really had enough.

Silence filled the walk back to their home on the opposite end of the Nara grounds. Temari wasn't particularly mad, but they were tired from the week, and he, for one, was not quite ready to open conversation just yet.

Wordlessly he veered to the right to lie down and watch the clouds while she went back into the house. He was thankful for that particular understanding Temari allowed.

Gazing at the soft billows floating about, he worked to calm his mind and restore peace.

Pulling off her sandals upon entering their house, she left Shikamaru to unwind and began preparations of dinner. The heat had been trapped in the house, so she quickly opened the windows to let in the summer breeze. _Poor Shikamaru,_ she sympathized. Perhaps she had been a bit too hasty in taking his Ma's side. They were both a little tired from the week and she probably spoke before really thinking. Sure Sai was being a very attentive husband to Ino but she could have gone softer on the teasing barbs she directed at her lover.

Cloud watching settled him down and Shikamaru returned ready to make things right. The alluring smell of delicious foods wafting about welcomed him back home. He honestly felt bad for his sour mood earlier. Work was overwhelming at times and irritations on his days off weren't what he needed.

"I'm sorry," he stated as he glanced up at her with those puppy dog eyes. He really was. At that point, the disgruntlement over things said before seemed petty and not even relevant.

"I'm sorry too," she replied, a hint of regret marring her beautiful face.

He slowly walked into the kitchen and brought her into a tender hug, breathing in her every essence. He loved her so much. It hurt to think he wasn't good enough to her as he should be.

"Let's not fight," he stated hopefully, giving her a little squeeze from behind.

"Agreed," she replied, as she leaned back into him to revel in the embrace.

"Are we good?" he asked tentatively, before slowly turning her around to face him.

She nodded with a smile assuring him so. Nothing said was really all that important anyway. Gingerly he cupped her face and gazed deep into the depths of her orbs, holding her attention.

"I love you Temari," he stated without preamble. "Never doubt that."

Warm tendrils of softness and comfort embraced her soul as she smiled and drank in the preciousness of that moment.

"I love you too," she replied honestly. His return smile continued to stir lovely feelings within, and that dreamy gaze of his took her breath away. The kiss they shared was gentle and slow. By the time they pulled apart, they were definitely in a better place.

Taking his hand, she led him back to the couch. There he relaxed into the cushions and welcomed her into his embrace. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the rise and fall of his chest as she cuddled into him.

Pleasurable silent moments had them enjoying each other's company. When she glanced over to the clock though, a smile adorned her face, and he felt her giggle.

"What is it?" he asked, curious.

"Once again, Genius, we're home early," she stated with a bit of laughter in her voice. Of course that statement was the truth. As had been habit lately, the shortened visit to his Ma's had them with some rare extra time on their hands.

"Oh?" he replied in mock surprise, then followed with a smirk.

"Hn, it's troublesome but it seems I owe you some special attention," he stated, putting emphasis on the 'special.'

"Really now?" she retorted. "Better than anything Sai gives Ino?" she teased.

He narrowed his eyes at her, as a small laugh escaped her lips. Suddenly, he surprised her out of nowhere by flipping on top of her, effectively pinning her down. A look of mischief in his eyes, silenced the tease.

"You be the judge," he began with a low alluring voice, as he hovered just centimeters above her body. The intensity of his look gave her pause as he slowly descended upon her to capture her lips, leaving her both wanton and breathless.

She reveled in his touch that managed to ignite the passion deep within. As her mind was swimming with promises of an intimate kind, things began to heat up quickly despite the cool breeze drifting through the open windows, and dinner was soon the farthest thing from their minds.

* * *

Yoshino finished washing the cups and sat down at the family table, a faint smile tugging at her lips. She was done by 6PM. This was a record! Their visit was just under a half hour and she couldn't be more pleased with herself.

Poor Shikamaru. She dearly loved her son but lately he was too busy for his own good. Temari too. They'd plunged head first into the Leaf/Sand Alliance and had little time for anything else. Worse yet, they seemed to be okay with that. She was quite fond of the Sand Kunoichi, but for goodness sake, there were other important matters she'd like them to consider too.

It wasn't always like this. They had started their marriage off affectionately with plenty of outings and personal time for each other. Having endured a long distance relationship, they were a passionate pair who wasted no time when together.

In the beginning, she distinctly remembered, things weren't always quiet on the Nara grounds. She nearly laughed out loud when she recalled that warm summer night she couldn't sleep after a little skirmish she witnessed between them and happened to pass by their house. With the windows open, it was apparent Shikamaru took after his father in the bedroom, no doubt in serious pursuit of making it up to his wife.

Once married and settled though, shinobi duties were put at the forefront, and they eventually became much busier. _Out of hand_ in her mind. Sure they still loved each other but with their schedules it was likely they were merely sleeping here and there with nothing happening between the sheets! The fact that she had to shame them into making time to visit her even once in a while spoke volumes. They lived on the same grounds for crying out loud!

Others in their generation were busy starting families, and honestly, it was time they focused on that as well. They were still young and foolish, not yet understanding how to time manage such important matters. Subtle suggestion had gone nowhere, so it was time to take matters into her own hands and step things up a notch. Shikamaru wouldn't actively pursue something without the proper motivation after all.

The war had taken many things from her, but her determination was still intact. Missions were less frequent and she now had the time to enjoy life. They all did. Ino had already blessed her family with the upcoming baby news. Surely Shikamaru and Temari should have caught a clue, but earlier conversations with them clearly did not indicate so.

It was no wonder the frustration led her to intervene. Armed with the knowledge that Temari was warm to the idea and had vaguely hinted to missing the newlywed passion of their relationship, she quickly went to work.

The men in the family were smart, kind, caring, and loving, but truly lazy to the core. Loving them dearly didn't necessarily mean appreciating how their intellect interfered in making immediate decisions that needed tending to. Yes, it was maddening at times to have to be patient, and no, she wasn't necessarily the patient type.

In the beginning she siphoned through an enormous number of techniques just to get things moving along. Several failures and mountains of frustration later, she learned two things: (1) the Nara men had a sweet spot for women and (2) it was important to use it against them when things really needed to get done.

Luckily, Shikaku, her late husband, was especially susceptible to her womanly wiles and once he had his eye on the prize, he would often move swiftly and be quite agreeable to getting things done.

She smiled when she remembered his devious side. Shikamaru to this day was still clueless that he was the mastermind in getting her to sharpen her "skills" to shoo him away. The refined "skill" would have two beneficial purposes, Shikaku and she would be rewarded with satisfied bliss, all the while lazy Shikamaru would rush to get away and work to complete additional chores to get his Ma off his back.

Of course "skills" would not be the word Shikamaru would associate his dear Ma as possessing. He begrudgingly took it as nagging. It was a _drag_ to be around her as he would put it, but the dear that he was, listened, and the very kind and loving son he was, ultimately quickly finished whatever his Ma had wanted.

Over the years, she made sure he was raised with a healthy respect for females and for responsibilities that came along with his blessed superior intellect and the secret Jutsu of the Clan. He would soon take the place as Clan Head, and she had to be sure once she stepped down, all would continue to flourish for future generations.

Unfortunately, contemplating about those future generations was where Yoshino was stuck at the moment. Nothing was currently in the works.

She'd admit she was a little green with envy in the way Ino practically glowed with the newfound pregnancy. She didn't blame Yamanaka-san for her happiness. Quite the contrary, she was elated for her. It's just she wanted to feel a part of that happiness too. There were too many bad and sad memories to haunt her from the past. News of the baby sort would brighten the future.

She wasn't proud of it, but in his younger years, she was able to manipulate Shikamaru to her whims. Indeed, it was a bit of a long shot, but since soft reasoning didn't do a lick of good in moving forward, she decided to nudge things along with more predictable coercion used in the past. If she could just get Shikamaru a little agitated and blessed with some extra time with Temari, perhaps... She smiled, _yes_ , that was all it might take. Shikamaru was so much like his father, and, well...

A glance at the baby rattle she had bought for Ino's baby made her smile. Yamanaka-san didn't have to be the only one with a baby on the way if she had her say. The promise of Ino-Shika-Cho could still be fulfilled. She could only hope the free time she had managed for the two had been filled with the right activities. If so, some pretty fantastic things could result.

She chuckled. It was indeed troublesome getting a lazy genius to work on something like _that_ for her. Unabashed, she could admit she was a bit of a ruthless mother with motivations of her own. Knowing how much Shikamaru was like Shikaku, she hoped her innocent plan would be fruitful. His quick excuse to leave had better breed some success. She could hardly wait to be a grandma!

The smirk on her face widened a bit. Indeed, sometimes things like this took a little time, but she was sure they weren't suffering. She'd do her best to be patient, but if nothing came through soon, she'd helpfully remind Shikamaru there was an open invitation to visit again!

* * *

Author's Note:

Whoa, way to go Yoshino! More Ino-Shika-Cho thanks to you!

This can be read as a one shot, or you're welcome to continue on to see what other story I had in mind when this idea came to light.

I'd like to extend a special thank you to Shadow Owner for sharing information to help improve this story. Your suggestions and comments are always appreciated and very helpful! I would also like to thank all those who have read and reviewed. Haven't reviewed? You can still make my day with one. I'd love to hear from you.

For the chibi shy readers out there, I'm curious. What does a view to a story without a review mean? Was the story bad or just not good enough to warrant one?


	2. Ruthless

A mother can be so ruthless at times. It's troublesome, he knows, but Shikamaru makes the most of it.

Disclaimer: Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

Note: This chapter was originally a stand alone story. However, with some leeway, I saw it could potentially be a follow up story to "Nag," and hence I've posted it as such. Reviews are priceless. Please let me know what you think. Yoshino's character may change a bit in this one, so please be forewarned.

* * *

She was ruthless. _Definitely, ruthless_. Guilt, begging, bribery, none of it was beneath her. It had both pained and plagued him that she would consider the most inappropriate of times to hassle them. Intensity had risen in the past few weeks and it was always prudent to steer clear when they could. It was troublesome no doubt, but today, they planned to take a direct hit. He was sure she would have an innocent plan of attack, but they came prepared with payback and a game played by their rules at the ready.

She waited on the porch of his childhood home and warmly greeted them with pleasantries.

"It's so nice of you to drop by," she welcomed as she ushered them in. "Come. Sit."

She wasted no time in helping them to settle around the kitchen table and placed a few glasses of ice cold lemonade before them.

As always, there was an initial sweetness to her that teased them into listening and possibly agreeing with her, even if they didn't want to. That lure would only catch them off balance when the cobra in her would strike.

3...2...1, as if on cue, "Yesterday I noticed a part of the fence on the East end is rotting. It looks like it will have to be replaced soon."

"Oh?" Temari replied in surprise. "Shikamaru, do you think you can look at that later?" Temari glanced over at him, in askance for him to be nice.

He nodded in response, suppressing a roll of his eyes.

As predictable as the sun rising at dawn, he braced himself for her next words.

"It's unfortunate. Things tend to get old before you know it," she commented, then she sighed. "I feel like time is passing by quickly and I'm not getting any younger either."

 _No, Ma. You're only a week older than the last time you told us._

"Now, Mom," Temari (forever the diplomat) responded, "you're as young as ever." She leaned in to give her a placating hug and flashed Shikamaru a lopsided grin. It caught him off guard and he had to suppress his laugh, swallowing his drink with force, lest he spew it all over the two of them.

"Come now. Enough of that kind of talk, what's new with you?" Temari coaxed.

"Well, let's see," she began, contemplating where to go next. "Ah yes, yesterday when I was out in the yard, guess who happened to walk by?"

 _It better not be Ino,_ he groused.

"Ino!" she chirped.

His eye roll nearly caused his globes to rotate to the back of his head and this time Temari had to hold back her chuckle.

"Ma," he returned. It was his typical low growl, whiny warning, one she never ever seemed to heed. Did she ever listen?

"What?" she asked in the best voice of surprise she could manage.

"Never mind him," Temari dismissed, urging her to stay on topic.

"She looked radiant and better than ever!" she exclaimed.

 _Ouch!_ She wasn't quite expecting that. Temari quickly plastered on a smile and spoke. "Great," she said with lackluster enthusiasm. _Lucky girl, that perfect Ino, to look even better than her bombshell self._

She wasn't even showing yet but pregnant Ino sure could set up a rift between them as wide as the ocean. If they were lucky, the tides would be turning and maybe the ocean wasn't as big as they thought.

"I also saw Yamanaka-san," she continued.

Now this was a change. They both glanced up at each other to see where this was going.

"She asked me if I wanted to help her shop for the baby (big emphasis on _the baby_ ), and of course I told her I would love to."

An audible sigh with another conscious eye roll ensued, followed by an unceremonious drop of his forehead to the table.

"What is it Shikamaru?" she asked sweetly.

"Nothing Ma,"he replied blandly, knowing without a doubt she'd play the beggar's card next.

"Anyway," she continued, "of course I would never rush you, but..."

 _Pftttt. right._

"well..." she left the thought hanging like she always did, so they could fill in the blank themselves. It was a low tactic that beggar's card. Begging without really specifying what you wanted, but being specific all the same.

"Hmmm," Temari interrupted.

"Yes, dear?" she asked hopefully as if everything she ever lived for hung on her next words.

"Mom," she began and glanced up to Shikamaru with 'the look'.

"I know what you've been trying to say to us," she continued.

A pink tinge of embarrassment hinted at her cheeks. Even Yoshino knew when she was a little too direct. Still it didn't matter. Maybe all the hints were finally paying off! She could hardly hold back her glee. Her eyes grew big and she held her breath in anticipation as she leaned in to hear what was said next.

"And?" she asked hopefully, unabashed.

"But I'm a kunoichi Ambassador between the Leaf and Sand," she stated in her most important voice, surprised that with effort she could sound quite convincing.

"And I'm not sure I can take care of a baby with the harsh travel schedule associated with the job."

She could start to see the clouds of doubt and fear creep into her mother-in-law's eyes, like the next thing uttered would destroy a dream of hers that only they alone could fulfill. It pained her to go on but they had to finish what they, or rather she, had started.

Yoshino nearly covered her ears. It was better to falsely hope and dream than hear the words spoken aloud. Temari practically screamed 'I'm a working woman' and left it at that.

Dejectedly, but certainly not going down with the ship, she readied herself for one last wholehearted try.

"You know, Ino still plans on going back to work after the little one is born," she added. "Plus, if it happened to you, you know I would help. All you would have to do is ask."

"Nah," Shikamaru chimed in. "It's not worth it," he grumbled. "All you would do is nag us about the baby. I wouldn't get a moment's peace."

"What?" she counter claimed, clearly flabbergasted. "Of course not! I wouldn't be overbearing or a nagger." She hoped she hadn't gone that far.

Shikamaru pinned her with a glare that said it was impossible.

"Really," she promised. Now he was getting somewhere. A promise by a shinobi was more than a mere handshake. It inherently meant you'd link it to your reputation and nothing short of death would change it.

"Ma." he said shaking his head.

"No really. I promise!"

"Pffft," was all he responded. "Besides, I think we'd go crazy with you telling us what to do."

Scrambling for the pitiful chance that was drifting further away from her grasp, she quickly countered: "I would never do that!"

"And the comparisons would kill us," he continued.

"Really Temari," she pleaded, looking directly at her. "I would treat you with the respect you deserve, stay away when you asked, never use comparisons, and help when you needed it."

Her heart was racing. She really needed them to believe her. This was really important.

"I don't believe you," he said back to her.

"Please," she pleaded. "I've never gone back on a promise Shikamaru," and with this he quirked his eyebrow. Happily he'd concede that was one thing she had not done. Instead of nodding though, he looked skeptical.

"You really think you could leave us alone?" he asked seriously.

"If that's what would make you happy. Yes," she replied with certainty, putting things into perspective.

"Give us space? Stop being a nag?" he questioned.

"Yes."

"Help without being overbearing?"

"Yes." she said, tears nearly forming in her eyes. Was she really that bad?

"And never use comparisons?"

"Yes."

"Promise?"

"Yes, of course," she hurriedly replied, worrying to no end that her only chance at being a grandma was quickly disappearing. Fear that she was loosing her son and daughter- in-law with her aggressive tactics was also sinking in.

Shikamaru and Temari glanced between each other just then.

"Ma," he spoke as he shook his head. "After today, do us a favor and stop hassling us about a baby."

The last sentence struck a chord. She'd admit she had always hoped she would be a grandma one day. The dream began the very day Shikamaru began courting the wonderful Sand kuniochi. Her determination had never wavered but she supposed she'd never really directly asked them what they wanted out of life or when. It was just assumed. Sure there were expectations and hopes, but there was nothing specifically required by the Nara Clan. She'd also have to agree that too much pressure was never a good thing. Perhaps she was a guilty party in dissuading them even more.

For their parts, Shikamaru and Temari steadied their gazes and worked hard to be serious. All those months of relentless, unabashed badgering had to come to a blatant stop, and gleefully, not without severe consequences.

"Okay," she finally conceded, dismissing any future hopes of her dream. "Never mind me then."

To avoid being glum, she tried to guide the conversation to more familiar small talk.

"So, what's new with you two?"

She hoped a change of topic would help her find something else to occupy her mind while she processed it all.

Temari looked back hopefully at Shikamaru and he nodded.

"Well, we've been busy," Temari stated and he knowingly chuckled.

 _Busy, of course. Too busy to make her a grandma!_ , Yoshino filled in, but she kept that to herself.

"And it will soon be to the point we're going to need some help," she continued looking over to her mother-in-law.

"That is, if you're not too old," Shikamaru chimed in and they both chuckled, like a secret joke was being told.

To that she smirked. Did she really say it that often?

"What do you say to that, Ma?" he asked, pro-offering a small bag to her, "will you accept this and seal the deal?"

"What kind of help?" she inquired, seriously. The last thing she needed was a heavy desk job shuffling papers to add to work done on the farm. Did this have to do with paperwork for the Leaf/Sand Alliance?

"Well, it's a hard earned job," he admitted and she agreed.

"Yet very rewarding," she added.

"No one else could take it on though," he stated, "so if you can't, I'm not sure what we're going to do."

These two were her precious people, the ones she lived for. Of course she would do anything in the world for them. Life was short and she knew from experience, in a moment's notice, it could all be taken away. With new determination it was decided, she would help them in a heartbeat with or without a grandchild.

"Sure," she agreed. "What do I have to lose?"

Accepting the agreement, she nodded and took the pro-offered gift bag from him. She shifted the tissue around and discovered the small cloth at the bottom. Spreading out the tiny fabric, her heart stopped. She blinked. The message was there but the words weren't connecting. She blinked again to be sure it was real.

"Is this...?" Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. It couldn't be.

"Is this what I think it is?" she asked again in disbelief, peering at the tiny lettering.

Temari nodded and Shikamaru just grinned.

"Remember your promises," Shikamaru reminded.

"Don't worry, I will," she said still wide-eyed in disbelief. It took a moment to process, but the delayed discovery was soon followed by barely contained glee.

The squeal of delight became muffled as she embraced them both in a huge hug.

Shikamaru sighed. He had to admit that it felt nice to see his Ma so happy. Temari too.

She held it out, admiring it with a fresh new outlook. Tears of joy, started to fall.

The small gift was her pride and joy at the moment. A dream come true was finally happening. She could hardly believe it. They were expecting! Oh the joy! She could hardly wait to share her life their little one. _Alas,_ _a little one of their very own_. She couldn't imagine being happier than she was now. Life would soon be filled to the brim with sunshine kisses and a sweet, sweet grandchild.

Shikamaru was pleased and somewhat relieved. He loved his Ma and so did Temari. In the past few weeks though, they had had enough. She would always be a part of their life. Stubborn as she was, there needed to be ground rules. At long last, they were moving along on their terms. Agreeably tricked, but uttered all the same, she'd made them promises they needed to hear. Fortunately, he knew she was good for her word.

Laughter would soon fill the air when the little one would be eager to retreat to his Nara grandma's home in his or her little baby bib. She smiled at the sentiment written on it: _Move out of the way!_ _I'm going to Grandma's!_ Indeed, she'd make sure he or she would readily use this first Grandma gift to her.

Later that evening, Shikamaru was found relaxing on a hillside, contemplating the visit while doing some cloud watching. _A lot was accomplished today_ , he thought, much more than he had hoped. The day was very special, and he smiled when he remembered the moment when his ruthless Ma had given her word to make the future a better one. Before he could get too comfortable though, a flash of regret passed through him. Too bad they didn't establish ground rules on spoiling the baby. Ah well. _That might have to be a later projec_ t he mused.

 _~End~_

* * *

Author's note:

Happy Mother's Day Yoshino and Temari! May all the Grandmothers and Mothers out there enjoy their special day!

To my readers: Did it work or fall flat? It's hard to gauge what others make of a story. Humor me and press review. It's the only way I'll get to know.

In terms of timeline, my other story "Sign" happens between these two chapters. I didn't want to to ruin the surprise though so I decided to wait until now before mentioning it. If you'd like to see Yoshino after she becomes a Grandma, feel free to visit my other story, "The Meaning 'Shi' Had," which loosely fits after this story.

Lastly, comparisons between my other stories are appreciated. Which writing style, pairing, or topic did you like best? Your vote will help to indicate to me what works. Thanks in advance for your input.


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